NEW DINOSAUR HALL OPENS IN LOS ANGELES

By Culturekiosque Staff

LOS ANGELES, 17 JULY 2011  Yesterday, the Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County passed the halfway mark in its seven-year
self-transformation when it opened its all-new, 14,000-sqaure-foot
Dinosaur Hall. Twice the size of the Museums previous dinosaur exhibits,
the Dinosaur Hall features more than 300 fossils, 20 full-body specimens,
an array of manual and digital interactive displays, and video
presentations. It is designed to allow visitors to get up close to real
fossils in a way that engages visitors with the discovery and research
programs of the Museums own Dinosaur Institute, led by paleontologist and
exhibit lead curator, Dr. Luis Chiappe.

The worlds only Tyrannosaurus rex growth series, presenting
extraordinary fossils specimens of the youngest known baby, a rare
juvenile, and a remarkably complete recently-discovered young adult
(Thomas the T. rex), will be one of the highlights of the new hall. Other
standout specimens in the exhibition include an imposing new
Triceratops; a Stegosaurus, topped by kite-shaped armor
plates; the predator Allosaurus; a 68-foot long-necked
Mamenchisaurus; and giant marine reptiles that swam the oceans
covering what is today California. Two-thirds of the full-body specimens
have never been displayed before.

In all, the new exhibition spans 14,000 square feet, doubling the size
of the Museums former dinosaur galleries. Framing the gallery is a
40-foot wall showcasing 100 diverse dinosaur specimens  a sly, artful
take on traditional paleontological display, with bones, teeth, eggs,
footprints, skin patches, and coprolites (which is to say, fossilized
droppings).

The centerpiece in this gallery is the platform featuring a trio: the
young adult Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed "Thomas" (30 feet, and
approximately 18 years old) joined by a 20-foot juvenile (approximately 14
years old) and a 11-foot baby (2 years old), the youngest known T. rex
specimen at the time of death. The growth series is a fascinating look at
the ways that the T. rex grew, a process that included incredible growth
spurts and body changes: After hatching as a 2-foot, for example, a T. rex
could reach 30-35 feet (10,000 to 15,000 pounds) in less than two
decades.

Dinosaur Hall at Natural History Museum of Los
Angeles County

But it is also a snapshot of dinosaur life: The terrain on which they
are mounted finds Thomas and the baby standing on one side, while the
juvenile lurches toward the carcass of a duck-billed
Edmontosaurus. Though nearby content is careful to point out that
theories about a long- extinct animals behavior are just that, the scene
does intend to raise questions about the social hierarchy of the T. rex.
Recent research suggests these creatures ate one another, but we dont
know if they killed one another. So, to what extent were babies and
juveniles tolerated in the T. rex social structure? Is Thomas protecting
the baby, or is it every dinosaur for itself?

The final tableau debunks the popular belief that all dinosaurs lived
together and at the same time. Visitors investigate iconic dinosaurs that
lived and became extinct at different times: the Triassic
Coelophysis; the Jurassic Stegosaurus and
Allosaurus; and the Cretaceous Edmontosaurus. The
mystery of how and when the large dinosaurs died out is introduced, with
evidence for a mass extinction event at the end of the Mesozoic. This
tableau also highlights the evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and
birds, providing compelling evidence about why the latter should be
considered living dinosaurs.

The second level of the exhibition also takes a closer look at the
science behind these specimens, from the fossil hunting badlands where the
specimens are found, to the labs where fossils are prepared after they are
excavated. One area focuses on field work: the surprising data that a
quarry can reveal in addition to its fossil treasures, and examples of
excavation methods (which, unlike lab and articulation work, have not
changed drastically over the last several decades). The companion area
focuses on laboratory discoveries  research tools that have evolved to
include high-tech microscopes, CT scans, and genome studies. A multi-media
interactive kiosk allows visitors to "excavate" specimens and investigate
the finds.